Apparatus for treatment of waste organic mixtures and the like



' Jan. 8, 1929. 1,69 ,171

G. T. REICH APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF WASTE ORGANIC MIXTURES AND THE LIX] Filed April 1, 1924 2 ShQetbShiOt 1 R} NVIENTOR.

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A TTORNEY.

K I /////////////////////////W/XZA G. T. REICH I AIPARATUS m TREATMENT OF WASTE ORGANIC MIXTURES AND THE LIKE Filed April '1, 1924 2 Sheets-P5119 2 I N VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE T. R EICH, OF SAUSALITO, GALIFORNIA.'

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF WASTE ORGAN IC MIXTURES AND THE LIKE.

-. Application filed April 1,

My invention is particularly applicable for the destructive distillation or the dehydration, or both of organic wastes, such as those obtained in the production of ethyl alcohol, for. instance distillery slop as obtained by the fermentation of cane molasses, and other organic mixtures containing nitrogen or potash or both.

The objectof my invention is the economic ucts. For that urpose I have invented an apparatus where y the said organic mixture or slop may be heated in a suitable container under special conditions of temperature equalization throughout the mass.

By referring to the accompanying drawings my invention will be made clear.

Fig. 1 illustrates, somewhat diagrammatically,an apparatus employing my invention. ig. 2 is an enlarged section on the line II-II of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a sect-ion taken on the line II IIII of Fig. 1. Throughout the figures the same numerals areused to designate identical parts.

The numeral 1 is one of the retorts shown in end elevation, 2 is a second retort shown in vertical section, and 3is a third retort.

These retorts are mounted in heating cham- "bers 4, 5, 6, respectively and heated by the gases of combustion passing from the combustion chambers 7, 8, 9, 10, which may com-- municate with the respective heating chambers by a plurality of passages, as 11, 12. The movement of the combustion gases through the passages 11, 12, may be controlled by any conventional means as dampers, not shown, thereby enabling any retort to be cut out for repairs. I

These passages 11, '12 may be positioned in the upper portions of the dividing walls between'the heating and combustion chambersa'nd thereby the more intense heat i'sfapplied to the upper portions of the side walls sired to treat, is introduced into from the compartment 27 with a suitable quantity' of of the retorts as indicated at 13, tively. In this way the contents tort may be more intensely heated in its upper strata, thus preventing ebullition thereof.

Flues, not shown, may be employed to secure the equal distribution of the heatlongitudinally on the retort walls.

It will be seenthat the two side walls of each of the three 'retorts are thus fully ex- 14, respec- -posed.to the more intense heat; all six side walls of the three retorts being heated in the recovery of fertilizers and chemical by-prod-' contents to, or arrest the of each re- 1924. SeriaINo. 703,572.

means as the pulley 17, whereby the thickened contents ofthe retort during or after treatment may be mechanically forced from the spout 15 as may be required. Or if desired an entire end of the retort may be made removable and the sides of the retort tapered outwards toward said end thus enabling the entire contents of the retort to be removed fen masse through said end.

Another preferred construction provides an'inner shell removable with the solidified or reduced material through the top of the retort (by removing the-cover thereof). 1 n this case it is advisable to make the walls'of the retort and of the shell to flare upwardly. After the abstraction of heat from the gases entering through 11 and 12 they are discharged through the chimney 18. The heating of the gases is accomplished by any suitable means as oil burners 19, 19, in each of the combustion chambers, or if preferred 1 retorts as through the inlet pipes 20, and-it i is to be understood that suitable valves may be introduced as at 21, 22, respectively, or-

-elsewhere in any portion of the inlet pipes 20 and outlet pipes 15 to control the flow of the retort, as may be desire The mixture may be introduced direct to the retort/s or from the stirring or agitating chamber 25, wherein the agitator 26 is mechanically operated. 1 The material or mixture, whiohit is de-,

ammonium sulphate from the hop er 28. At 29 is shown a container for sulp uric'acid which may befedthrough the pipe 30 under the control of valve 31 to the mixture dur irig treatment or through the pi e 33 controlled by valve 32 to thehydroc l'oric acid apparatus indicated by the plurality of treatment chambers, 34, 35, 36, 37 wherein the treated mixture containing the sulphates and contents within the chlorides is a itated by any conventional means, as by tie screws 38, with the added sulphuric acid from the ipe 33. This results in hydrocholoric acid being released. The now treated residue discharged by the pipe into the car 41 may be employed direct or mixed with any suitable material and/or otherwise packe as finished fertilizer.

During the heat treatment of the concentrated slop in the retorts, frothing is reduced to a minimum by the heat transfer taking place from the upper strata in a downward direction and as the contents become more and more concentrated the diaphragm plate The retorts are provided preferably with curved or tapering bottoms and smooth interiors to reduce the depositing of carbon thereon and to facilitate cleaning.

Vhile my invention is capable of being carried out in many different ways, I shall describe itsapplication particularly to the treatment of distillery slop as obtained from the fermentation of cane molasses.

Such distillery slop would containdry approximately 3% of nitrogen and 10% of potash (K 0). Thepotashcontentbcingdivided into about 2 of 'the K 0 as potassium sulphate, 4% of the K 0 as chloride and 3 of the K 0 as organate. At 30 Baum this slop will contain approximately of water and 50% of solids, and 2000 pounds of this mixture will therefore contain 25 pounds of the potash K 0 as potassium sulphate; 40 pounds as potassium chloride and 35 ounds as potassium organate.

his mixture being contained in hopper 27 may be introduced into the mixing chamber 25 together with 125 pounds of ammonium sul hate from hopper 28 or sulphuric acid an correspondingly less ammonium sulphate may be .used, depending upon the amount of nitrogen desired in the finished fertilizer, and from the mixing chamber the mixture passes into the retorts 1, 2, 3. The

movement of the ingredientsand mixture follows the directions indicated-by the arrows. a

The reaction which takes place, preferably under the influence of heat, will. result in 138.75 pounds of potassium sulphate and 52 pounds of ammonium chloride. The converl sion of potassium chloride into potassium sulphate will take place at a lower tempera- Lture than if treated with sulphuric acid only. Owing to the presence of ammonium salt a larger percentage of potassium sulphate can be removed if desired than without same. The mixture from the mixing, chamber,

sure its complete entrainment by the screw shaped. v

approximately 92.5 pounds passes into the retorts 1, 2, 3, and then heat may be applied from the burners 19, 19, through the passages 11, 12 and against the sides 13, 14, of the several retorts.

The mixture which during the treatment in the retorts may lose 25% of the-moisture isdischarged through the spouts 15 by the forcing action of the screw conveyer 16 and thence into the conyeyer. 45, from which it is delivered into the spout 46 for further treatment in the treatment chambers, 34, 35, 36, 37, where b the addition of 78 pounds of sulphuric acid 31 pounds of hydrochloric acid are liberated through the pipe 39, and a mixture containing 92 pounds -.of potassium sulphate is discharged through s out 40.

By the described treatment of t e mixture potassium sulphate, hydrochloric acid and a I i of potash (K 0) suitable for use as fertilizer residue containing 6% of nitrogen and 6.5%

are produced.

It is to be understood that the retorts may be provided with uptake pi es one of which is shown at 60 through whic the evolved gas and vapors pass to gas collecting mains and may be passed through air or water coolers.

scrubbers, exhausters, etc., as required in any particular case. Also the retorts may be operated under any desired pressure or vacuum conditions de endin largely on the mix a Y duct or character of ture treated and 't e pro product desired.

Iclaim: a

1. Apparatus for the treatment of organic wastes comprisin a heating chamber, two combustion cham er's on opposite sides of said heating chamber, a retort suspended in said heating chamber and spaced from the' bottom thereof and extendin through the opposite walls of saldheating chamber on opposite sides of said. retort. adjacent the upper portion of said retort, the

on each of said sides of said eating cham ber communicating said; heating chamber passage means with the combustion chamber on the. same-j side of said heating chamber, and'adi'schargeport from said heating chamber remotefrom said passage means.

' 2; Apparatus folthe 'treatlndnt of organicand the retort is relatively deep and trough V GUSTAVE '1. Rates 10 5 top thereof and spaced from t envalls there'- T of on opposite sides, passage means through 

